Direction signal



y 1937- N. ESKILSON ET AL 2,081,805

DIREQTION SIGNAL Filed March 26, 1956 Patented May 25, 1937 2,081,805

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIRECTION SIGNAL Nelse Eskilson and Oscar Brander, San Pedro,

' Calif.

Application March 26, 1936, Serial No. 71,028 3 Claims. (Cl. 1l6-54) This invention relates to certain new and useful tween the wall I and inner casing I3 as illusimprovements in direction signals. trated.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- The outer casing I I with which the signal arm vide a direction signal for moto ehicle in I2 is associated is shown more clearly in Figures 2 which a signal arm that normally depends from and 3 and has a hollow bearing I6 journalled in 5 a bracket mounting exteriorly of the vehicle body the Side Wells thereof, the ihhel angle e 3 is adapted to be raised to an operative signalling Of a d eXtehdihg iIltO the b i 15 While position by devices manually operable at a point the signal arm I2 isattached to the outer end of within the vehicle with the arm illuminated when th r d 9. An sul o sleeve 0 s interposed l0 moved into signalling position. between the bearing I6 and angle end l8 of the 10 With the above and other objects in view that rod I9. I Will beeeme ppa ent as the nature of the in- A drum 2| is fixed to the bearing I6 adjacent a vention is better understood, the same consists in Side We 0f t e casi l l d Sa d drum has a the novel form, combination and arrangement of eileumferehtielly extending groove fer a g parts hereinafter more fully described,.shown in pt n f a abl 22 at a one end thereof 15 the ac ompanying drawing and claimed, anchored to the drum 2| at the point 23, the In the drawing:- cable 22 extending through registering openings Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a direc- 4 in the wall I0 and spacer block I5 to enter the tion signal constructed in accordance with the Casing at the inner Side Of the Wall for present invention, a side wall of a motor. vehicle teChmeht to operating a s therefOr- Ah arell- 0 body being shown in section and the signal arm ate spring C a t 25 t d p t y a nd t e at the outer side thereof illustrated by dotted bearing 15 in Spaced relation to the drum 2| d lines in its elevated signalling iti is supported on the adjacent side wall I! of the Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, Casing I l by means of the insulation block A 25 partly broken away and shown in section ofthe Contact p 27 t is associated With the eICuete 25 direction signal and showing the manually oper- CChteCt 25 eXtendS radially 0f the bearing able cable for effecting a, v t of t siginsulation sleeve 20 and end I8 of the rod I9 and nalling arm; as shown in Figure 2 is insulated from said part, Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken the Contact P 27 Constitutihg a y Connecting 30 online 33 of Figure 2, showing the mounting the bearing I6 and rod I9 for unitary rotation of for the signal arm; the parts. When the contact pin 21 is spaced Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on from the a j nt free end o t e a euate 00 line 44 of Figure 2, showing th operating tact 25, the signal arm I2 is in its depending inmeans for the cable associated with the signal operative position and to retain the parts o arm; osed against accidental movement, a peripheral 35 Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the signal boss 28 Carried by the drum 2| iS ed by the arm, and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a Spring 29 as ow in Figure AS Shown in circuit for the signal light, i ure 6, the'signal lamp 44 in the signal arm I2 is Referring more in detail to the accompanying in an electric circuit with a source of energy, such drawing,lthe reference character I0 designates a as a battery a W 5| from One terminal theree side Wall or other part of a motor vehicle upon of extending to t p 44 and from Said p which the direction signal is supported, the latter. a W 59 eXtehdS t0 the arellete COhteCt A comprising a casing II attached to the outer side Wi e 5 e endS f e Other terminal of the of the Wall ID with a signal arm I2 normally debattery and has an extensible circuit wire con- 5 pending from the casing II when in inoperative nection 54 with the contact pin 21. As shown in position as shown in Figure 1, while a casing I3 Fig. 3, one of the side walls I! of the casing II is secured to the inner side of the wall H) in line removable from the casing, and in assembling the with the outer casing II contains manually operparts in the casing ll, the said side wall is reable mechanism for effecting a movement of the moved and the bearing IS, arm end IB and drum signal arm I2, such as for instance the elevated 2| together with other associated parts are assignalling position illustrated by dotted lines I2a sembled on the side wall and the latter thereafter in Figure 1. The two casings II and I3 are sesecured to the casing II. The opposite end of the cured to the Wall II] by tie rods or bolts I4 shown bearing I6 is suitably journalled and retained in in Figure 2, and a spacer block I5 is interposed bethe fixed side wall of the casing I I. 55

The operating means for the drum 2| is located within the casing 13 at the inner side of the wall l0 and as shown in Figures 2 and 4, a longitudinally fluted or corrugated shaft 30 is journalled in the side walls 3i of the casing [3. A drum 32 is keyed to the shaft 33 and has a ratchet disk 33 secured to one side thereof as at 34, the ratchet disk also being secured to the shaft 30 as illustrated. The cable 22 forms an operative connection between the two drums 2| and 32, the end of the cable 22 entering the casing l3 tracking in a peripheral groove in the drum 32 and having the end thereof anchored as at 35 to the drum 32. To cause the two drums to rotate comparatively slowly and in the absence of vibratory movement, a tensioned fibrous brake shoe 36 depending from the upper wall of the casing I3 is frictionally engaged with the peripheral wall of the drum 32 as clearly shown in Figure 4.

Manual rotation of the drum 32 is communicated to the drum 2! and signal arm I 2 by means of the cable 22, the drum 32 being rotated by means of the handle 31 keyed to one projecting end of the shaft 30 as shown in Figure 4, the signal arm [2 being retained in its elevated signalling position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1 by means of a pawl 38 pivoted as at 39 in the casing l3 with one end thereof engaged with the ratchet teeth 33a carried by the ratchet disk 33, the pawl being manually released from the ratchet disk by means of the handle carried thereby and extending outwardly of the casing l3 through the opening 4! in the bottom Wall of the casing.

The signal arm I2 is of a spear head type as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and includes a cylindrical glass casing 42 with arcuate translucent colored sheets or strips 43 arranged interiorly thereof at the front and rear sides of the signal arm for signalling purposes, one of the sheets 43 being preferably red and the other one amber colored. The illumination of the lamp bulb 44 in the signal arm is controlled by contacts 25 and 21.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, it being noted that the signal arm 12 normally occupies the depending position illustrated in Figure 1 with the lamp 44 extinguished therein. When it is desired to operate the signal arm, the handle 31 at the inner side of the vehicle wall I0 is operated for rotating the drum 32 with such motion communicated to the drum 2| in casing I l by means of the cable 22 for the elevation of the signal arm, the latter being retained in signalling position by the pawl and ratchet mechanism comprising the ratchet disk 33 and pawl 38. To lower the signal arm l2 to its inoperative position, the handle 40 is moved to release the pawl 38 from the teeth 33a of the ratchet disk 33 and the weight of the signal arm l2 causes downward pivotal movement thereof and such movement is steadied by the brake shoe 35 frictionally engaged with the drum 32. The signal arm I2 is retained in its inoperative position against vibratory movement by the spring and boss arrangement 28 and 29 associated with the drum 2|. Elevation of the signal arm l2 to operative position as shown by dotted lines at l2a in Figure 1, causes engagement of the contacts 25 and 21 and the illumination of the lamp 44 in the signal arm.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

We claim:-

1. In a direction signal for automobiles, inner and outer horizontally alined casings mounted respectively on the inner and outer sides of a wall of an automobile, a signal arm pivotally mounted in the outer casing, a drum in each casing, a cable connection between the drums, manually operable means for the signal arm attached to the drum in the inner casing, a ratchet disk rotatable with the drum in the inner casing, and a pawl engaged with the ratchet disk and extending outwardly of the casing for manual release from the ratchet disk.

2. In a direction signal for automobiles, inner and outer horizontally alined casings mounted respectively on the inner and outer sides of a wall of an automobile, a signal arm pivotally mounted in the outer casing, a drum in each casing, a cable connection between the drums, manually operable means for the signal arm attached to the drum in the inner casing, a ratchet disk rotatable with the drum in the inner casing, a pawl engaged with the ratchet disk and extending outwardly of the casing for manual release from the ratchet disk, and a tensioned friction shoe carried by the inner casing for engagement with the periphery of the drum in the inner casing.

3. In a direction signal for automobiles, inner and outer horizontally alined casings mounted respectively on the inner and outer sides of a wall of an automobile, a signal arm pivotally mounted in the outer casing, a drum in each casing, a cable connection between the drums, manually operable means for the signal arm attached to the drum in the inner casing, a ratchet disk rotatable with the drum in the inner casing and a pawl engaged with the ratchet disk and extending outwardly of the casing for manual release from the ratchet disk, and means for holding the signal arm against vibratory movements when in its inoperative position including a boss on the periphery of the drum in the outer casing and a spring arm carried by the casing for engagement with the boss.

NELSE ESKILSON.

OSCAR BRANDER. 

